Our Secret
by I-Swear-I'm-Funny
Summary: At seven and eight years old, Denise and Jeff are best friends. As they grow, they slowly, but surely fall in love.
1. Chapter 1

"Jeffrey!" A seven year old Denise cried as an eight year old Jeff chased her through the woods between their houses.

"I told you not to call me that!" Jeff called to her, laughing loudly.

"Jeffrey! Jeffrey! Jeffrey!" Denise taunted, and continued running.

"Denise! When I get you-" Jeff began to warn

"Jeffrey Robert Blim the second!" She continued. "Jeffrey Robert Blim Junio-" Denise was cut off as she stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Denise!" Jeff called and kneeled next to her. She was crying softly and holding her knee. "Denise, are you alright?"

"Uh-huh," she sniffled and showed him her cut knee.

"Oh, that's not too bad. Your mom can patch that up in a minute and you'll be good as new!" He promised her.

"But it doesn't stop it from hurting now," she pointed out and he shrugged. He brushed the dirt off the wound and kissed it softly.

"Better?" He asked and she shrugged back at him.

"Will you carry me home?" She asked and he grinned.

"Of course! Get on my back!" He said and laughed as Denise stood and jumped on his back. She wrapped her arms around and neck and laid against his shoulder.

"You're my best friend, Jeffy." She said with a smile and he laughed.

"You're my best friend too, Deeds."

"Deeds?" She asked confused. "Why would you call me that?"

"Just a nickname," he said with another laugh. "Like Jeffy, you get to call me Jeffy, I get to call you Deeds. But only me, no one else alright?"

"Alright," Denise agreed. "Our secret."


	2. Chapter 2

"Jeff stop laughing," Denise whined, but Jeff didn't quit. "Jeffrey!" She cried and stomped her foot. "That's it, I'm not going." She said finally and returned to her bedroom to change out of the prom dress.

"No, no! Dee, come back," Jeff said trying to control his laughter. Denise had asked Jeff to come over and see her dress, so that she could have his opinion. She always valued his opinion higher than anyone elses, and having him laugh at her didn't make her happy.

"What?" She asked, peeking her head out of the doorway.

"Dee, it looks beautiful on you, I'm just not used to seeing you in a dress." He told her. She blushed at the compliment, and stepped back out of the room, walking towards a mirror. She smoothed the dress over her stomach and looked at herself.

"Are you sure I look alright? I don't want to embarrass myself, or David..." She spoke softly. Jeff let out another laugh and shook his head.

"You've never cared about embarrassing yourself, and if David didn't want to be embarrassed, he wouldn't be dating you."

"Thanks..." Denise said sarcastically.

"No Deeds, I wasn't trying to be mean. I'm just saying, you shouldn't care." Denise nodded and turned to him.

"I know you're right….I just hate that you are." He shrugged and nodded. "Is it weird for you?" She asked. "Me dating your best friend?" Jeff shrugged and stretch out on the couch.

"Not really, because you two barely act like you're dating as it is. Besides, he graduates this year, I get you all to myself next year." Denise smiled and nodded.

"Does it piss you off as much as it pisses me off that he gets to graduate a year earlier than us, just because he took a few extra classes Freshman year?" Jeff laughed and nodded.

"Hell yeah it does," Jeff stood up and walked closer to Denise. "Sorry I was being a dick," he apologized. "You really do look beautiful, Denise." He amended and Denise watched Jeff's reflection in the mirror.

"Thank you, Jeff." She said softly and he nodded.

"Make me a promise," he said and leaned forward to move a piece of hair out of her face.

"Anything," she said, swallowing hard.

"Next year, you'll go to prom with me." He said it softly, he was standing behind her, his arm resting on her shoulder. Without meeting his eyes, Denise nodded.

"I'd love that," she told him and he grinned.

"Good," he said. The tell-tale knock of David Stepien at the front door jolted the two apart. Jeff headed over and opened the door for his best friend. "Take care of her, man." He said and patted David on the back. David grinned and walked inside, making his way towards Denise.

"You look beautiful," he told her and kissed her forehead, then slipped a corsage onto her wrist.

"The ribbon matches my eyes," she said with a laugh. "You're so cheesy," she told him, looking back up. David shrugged and kissed her sweetly.

"There's still time for you to come, Jeff." David told him and Jeff shook his head.

"No, no. I don't want to be the third wheel." Denise laughed and rolled her eyes, then leaned over to kiss Jeff's cheek.

"Have fun with your hand tonight," she teased and he smiled, then leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"If I find out that you two slept together tonight, I will tell Mike, and Mike and I will kill David." Eyes wide, Denise pulled out of the hug and nodded.

"Have fun you crazy kids," Jeff told them, then headed upstairs to see what Denise's older brother, Mike was doing.


	3. Chapter 3

"Denise!" Meredith screamed as she caught sight of the blonde in the doorway of the Student Union. Denise grinned as Meredith flund herself into her best friends open arms.

"Meredith Elyse!" Denise cried. "Little Miss U of M herself," Denise laughed as Meredith pulled away from the hug.

"What are you doing here?" Meredith asked excitedly. Denise grinned and let her eyes skim over the general area. She saw a few people she recognized from photos Meredith and Jeff had sent her, but no Jeff.

"I came to see you, of course!" Denise told her with a laugh and Meredith narrowed her eyes teasingly.

"Yeah, you came to see me and the guy who'll always be before me in your heart." Denise rolled her eyes.

"Oh please! He wishes," she said with a grin and pulled Meredith into another hug, squeezing her eyes shut. "I've missed you so much," she said sadly, and pulled away.

"What was that fir?" Meredith asked, holding Denise's hands. "Is everything alright?" Denise smiled and nodded her head.

"Yeah," she said with a soft smile. "Everything is alright."

"Good," still holding onto one of Denise"0's hands, Meredith pulled Denise towards a couch with two men and a woman lounging. It looked like they were studying, eating sipping on their own coffee, laughing at something one of them had said.

"Guys," Meredith said, getting their attention. "This is Denise Donovan, my best friend." She said, presenting the blonde to her friends. "This is Jaime Lyn Beatty," she said pointing at the woman. She had dyed blonde hair, Denise could tell by the dark roots. Jaime waved and Denise smiled in return. "Brian Holden," she said pointing at the slighter of the two men. "And Joe Walker," she said.

"Hi," Denise said with a smile. "As much as I hate to meet and ditch, I really need to talk to Jeff." Meredith scoffed and rolled her eyes teasingly.

"Blim?" Joe asked and looked over at Brian. The two shared a smile and chuckled lightly.

"Why is that funny?" Denise asked and Jaime smiled sadly.

"Jeff took our friend Ashley home about an hour ago," the faux-blonde explained.

"Oh," Denise said and took a seat in a chair in front of the couch the other three were on, next to where Meredith was perched. Denise then laughed softly. "I thought he was gay!" The other four adults laughed along with her.

Jeff stretched and let out a soft sigh. He looked over at Ashley who was passed out on the other pillow. She was smart, beautiful, talented, but she was kind of a bitch. Jeff sighed again, less content than before. He slowly slipped out of bed and began idressing. He scribbled note saying he went out to grab something for them to eat, in case she woke while he was out.

Most if the restaurants that would provide him with quick, cheap food were at the Student Union so thats where he was headed. He also remembered Joe and Brian saying they were going to be there all night finishing an assignment. Walking in, he saw Joe, Brian, Jaime, and Meredith, all paying close attention and laughing at someone who had their back facing him. He couldn't see who, the back of the chair reached over their head.

"Wait," Joe said, holding back a laugh. "How did you two even meet?"

"Oh," Meredith said jumping in. "She dated my brother all through high school, but he liked to ditch her for Jeff, so she would ditch him for me!"

Jeff couldn't believe it. Brian said something causing the whole group to laugh, Jeff knew that laugh.

"Denise Marie Donovan," he called, causing the surrounding groups of people to quiet down.

Denise heard her name being called and smiled. She stood up and turned to face Jeff.

"Jeffrey Robert Blim the second," Denise called to him and he grinned. In the next moment they had flung themselves into each others arms.

"Deeds," he whispered. "What are you doing here?" He held her close, and let his fingers tug softly on her hair.

"It's a secret," she told him with a mischievous smile.

"What happen to our no secrets rule?" Denise pulled away from the embrace slightly and let her thumb trace over Jeffs cheek. It was covered in stubble and Denise sighed.

"You need to shave, you look homeless when you're scruffy."

"Hey!" Brian called to the two of them. "I want to touch Denise too, quit hogging her!" Denise laughed and looked over at the small group.

"I'll talk to you guys later, but I need to steal Jeffy for a spell," she told them and then grabbed his arm, pulling him outside.

"Are you cold?" Jeff asked Denise as they strolled down the sidewalk, lit by a few streetlamps here and there.

"No, I'm good," Denise told him with a smile.

"So what's this secret you have?" Jeff questioned and Denise shrugged.

"Have you talked to David lately?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah we talked the other night, why? Do you two not talk?" He asked.

"No, no we talk. There's just things he probably doesn't want to talk to me about, you know? Is he seeing anyone right now?"

"No," Jeff responded. "He said he's not focusing on relationships. He's trying to finish the semester on the Deans List. So women aren't on his mind right now."

"Oh, smart boy." Denise said with a smile and breathed in the chilly air.

"So what are you even doing up here? Don't you have classes or something?" He questioned and slowly, Denise shook her head no.

"I was... I was expelled Jeffy." She admitted sadly, looking down at her shoes. Shocked, Jeff stopped her and looked in her eyes.

"What happened?"

"The how isn't important," she told him. "I'm here because I couldn't think of where else to go," she told him, her hands reaching forward to hold onto the pockets of his jacket. "I need a place to stay, just for a bit while the school investigates the matter and if they decide to lift my expulsion, I'll be out of your hair." She smiled, as if she knew everything would be alright.

"And if they don't?" He asked and she shrugged. "Then I have to go home and tell my parents." Densie laughed a high pitched laugh. Jeff knew that laugh. He wrapped his arms around her as she began to cry.

Over the years he had held her while she cried too many times to count. This time was different then those. This time she was crying because her entire life plan was crumbling around her, and it broke his heart.

"Come on," he whispered against her hair. "It's late, you need to sleep." He tried to pull her hand towards his place and she shook her head.

"No, there's a slut in your bed," she sobbed out and they laughed together.

"She'll understand," Jeff told her with a chuckle. "Now come on or I'll carry you." Denise laughed, wiping her tears away and walked hand in hand with Jeff.


End file.
